Chapter 5 - Sampling and Testing

5.10 Residue, Anti-microbial and Micro-organisms System (RAMS)

5.10.1 Introduction

The Residue, Antimicrobial, and Micro-organisms System (RAMS) is a computerized tracking system for CFIA responses to the detection of chemical residues. It was implemented in the fall of 2005.

Residues may be reported by various sources, including a CFIA laboratory, a private contract laboratory, a provincial meat sampling and testing program, or the United States Department of Agriculture (as a result of the testing of Canadian animals exported for slaughter). When a residue is reported, it is entered into RAMS either automatically via the Laboratory Sample Tracking System (LSTS) or manually by national or Area program staff, and directed to the Program Specialist, Chemical Residues.

Violative residues are normally traced back to a farm of origin in order to determine the possible cause of the residue and determine corrective measures. As part of that process, the program specialist will refer the traceback to the abattoir where the sample was taken so that farm of origin information can be entered.

5.10.2 Notification

When a traceback is referred to an abattoir, RAMS automatically generates an email message and sends it to the person listed in RAMS as the contact for that abattoir. In most cases, that will be the Veterinarian in Charge.

The message will say:

"This message has been generated automatically by RAMS

Owner information requested

On behalf of your abattoir, you have been assigned to identify the Owner details of the sample(s) as defined in the above Traceback. The Traceback will be placed in your Inbox. Please use the link below to access RAMS. You will be re-directed to the appropriate page."

This tells you that there is a traceback waiting for you in RAMS. The message will also contain a link. If you click on the link, the computer will launch the RAMS application, take you to the log on screen, and then to the applicable traceback.

5.10.3 Logging on

The log on screen will prompt you for your user name and password. Your user name will normally be the same as for other CFIA applications, consisting of your last name and first initial.

RAMS shares a common password with other CFIA Web-based applications. If you use any of these, you may wish to try this password first. If you have never entered RAMS before, your password will be the same as your user name. This password must be entered in ALL CAPITALS. If the application will not accept this password, contact your Area Program Specialist, Chemical Residues, or the RAMS administrator to verify that you are listed as a user for this application.

When you enter for the first time, RAMS will require you to provide a new password before continuing. The new password can be in lower case, or a combination of upper and lower case characters.

Once you have provided your password, click on your language preference. You should be taken to the traceback referred to in the notification message.

5.10.4 Traceback detail

In the Traceback Detail screen, you are able to see the details regarding the violative sample.

In the first section, "Job Information", you can see the "Date sampled". If the test result came from a CFIA laboratory, you can click on the link for "Lab Job No." This will take you into the Lab Sample Tracking System (LSTS) and allow you to view the Report of Analysis. In order to do this, you will require a password for LSTS. See section 5.8.1.2.

In the second section, "Sample information", you can see the details on the violative result. The "Insp. Sample No." and the "Date sampled" should allow you to match the traceback to the corresponding sample that you submitted.

In the third section, "Identification", you can see the type of animal that was sampled (species), and the abattoir and inspector that the traceback has been assigned to. If the Program Specialist had any additional information or instructions, it will appear under "Message".

The final section is "Owner Identification Form." If you are unable to determine the owner, check off the box next to "The abattoir was unable to identify the owner", and click on "submit" at the bottom of the form.

5.10.5 Reassigning

You can assign a traceback to someone else. This feature would most often be used by a Veterinarian in Charge to give the task of finding owner information to one of his inspectors. This feature is helpful for keeping a record of the person who actually provided the owner information. If you wish to assign the traceback to another inspector, you can do so at this point by clicking on "Reassign identification." This will take you to a search screen in which you can enter last name and first name.

Because first names can often take several different forms, it is usually better to search on last name only. You can also enter only the first part of the last name, followed by the percent sign. Click on "Search" and you will get a list of matching names.

Click on the circle at the start of the name, then click on "submit."

Note that the system will not send your inspector an automated notice. You will have to advise the inspector that you have assigned a traceback.

5.10.6 Animal information

In this section, enter the information that you have about the animal.

In the field marked "Species", select the species or type of animal from the drop-down list. Although this information appears under "Animal type" earlier in the form, it is requested here as a confirmation, in case it was not reported correctly when the sample was submitted.

Under "Permanent ID", record the national livestock identification eartag number or other equivalent identification.

Under "Other animal ID", record any other identification, such as a back tag, lot number, producer eartag, or tattoo. Besides the number, you can enter a brief description of the tag, such as "backtag" or "yellow eartag."

Note that the fields marked with an asterisk (Species, date of slaughter) are mandatory.

5.10.7 Owner information

In this section, enter the information that you have about the owner of the animal.

The field marked "Code" is for a premises or producer identification code, if applicable.

Note that the fields marked with an asterisk (name, address, city, country, province) are mandatory.

When you have entered all the information, click on the "submit" button.

You can then click on the logout button to exit the application.

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